divaqs's Blog
Edible Landscaping
Apr 27, 2007 | 6:37 PM PST
Tags: Marjoram , Variegated , herb
I love herbs that are both interesting to look at and good in cooking. One of my herbs like this is variegated marjoram. Most of the time with herbs you seem to get a trade-off of flavor and culinary use for visual appeal, but I haven’t found that to be case with variegated marjoram.
Marjoram is in the same family as oregano, but has its own kind of sweet and spicy flavor that is different then oregano. It is easy to grow, well-suited to containers, and very useful in the kitchen. Because its leaves are very flavorful, a few leaves go a long way.
In my location in the Pacific Northwest, my variegated marjoram is an evergreen perennial that adds a nice year round aesthetic appeal to my herb garden.
If you live in a region colder than USDA zone 9, you should probably grow marjoram in a container. That way, when the weather is mild, you can keep the plant(s) on a sunny terrace or deck. Then when temperatures get down close to freezing, you can move them to somewhere warmer. One idea is to grow it at the base of a planted bush or tree that you are already moving inside or outside, with the changing season.
In an edible landscape, I think it can be used as a nice ground cover or base level plant, so long as it can get a decent amount of light. It would probably look really good in a rock garden.
My favorite use of this herb is as putting a dash of it in omelets. I’ve heard that marjoram is suitable for all meats, fish and poultry. And can be used in egg dishes, soups, stews, potatoes, squash, marinades and in salads. I am planning on expanding my repertoire of its use in my kitchen.
I’d love to hear any ways that you like to use marjoram.
7 Member Comments
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Apr 28, 2007 | 9:45 AM PST
I'll have to admit that I grow most of my herbs for their visual appeal. I'd like to cook with them more, but I'm not sure what to do with them. I don't think I even used my marjoram last year! I'm filling my parking strip with evergreen herbs, so I need some of that variegated marjoram!! Have you ever grown Kent Beauty oregano? It's a gorgeous landscape and container plant. I think you can cook with it too. |
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Apr 28, 2007 | 9:27 PM PST
I do have oregano in my herb garden, though I seem to have lost the tags that said what kind it was. I looked up "Kent Beauty Oregano" and saw some pictures of it. My oregano looks like that, so I assume it is the same. It is really pretty. Unfortunately my rosemary has kind of usurped the space and my oregano is suffering. I've tried cooking with it, but haven't been particularly fond of it. I remember there being something of a bitter after-taste. |
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Apr 29, 2007 | 11:05 AM PST
Right, I remember now that it's said to have a bitter aftertaste. Greek oregano is the common one for cooking. I planted golden oregano for ornamental purposes, but that's supposed to be good eating too! |
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Apr 30, 2007 | 10:35 AM PST
Marjoram is very popular here, Div. We use it in soups, and chopped finely it can be added to other herbs and inserted into the flesh of meat and fish. I love the smell and flavour of it. |
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Apr 30, 2007 | 10:39 AM PST
Mikhailah, Thank you for the suggestions! It is great to hear how other people are using this herb. Yesterday, I tried seasoning a chicken roast with marjoram, and it seemed to pass the kid taste test. :) I'll have to try seasoning fish with it next. What kind of soups do you put it in? |
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Apr 30, 2007 | 10:47 AM PST
We have a very hearty soup that we make hear. It's almost a stew. It has in it: chicken, split peas, potatoes or sweet potato or breadfruit, onions, thyme, marjoram, carrots and cabbage right at the end. We also add dumplings at the end which is a whole other story! A great meal for when you've been to the beach all morning and you've come home ranvanous (sp)and tired. M. |
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Apr 30, 2007 | 10:49 AM PST
Wow, that sounds like quite the soup. Thank you! |
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